Synchronizing apparatus.



s. c. PORTER. SYNCHRONIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 13, 914- m n y 1 n 0 a mm 3% NQ Lmmwfi L F n m m.o u v o I m mm 3 QM m R wm m N o @N 0 mm j D m O 1 O I o O NH? 2. 3 m owm 3 a o g. M W a ww QN 0 w a H m 0 IE N .3- N\N\{ me. \Q 0 E f lm mm MW... b, f Q m Q .5 Q N H v m I. q x 7 v k 3 u a w a 4 5 3 W w= x H m 1S. C. P-DBTER.

SYNCHRONIZINGAPPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV-13,1914. 1,250,351,Patented Dec. 18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

$ Inventor:

3 w by Q %%/mm v STEPHEN (2.;PORTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

'sm eadmzme APPARATUS.

'a 'pnesaon filed November 13, 1914. Y "serial No: 871,913.

Toall wliom it may concern: 7

Be it known 'thatI, STEPHEN C. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at borough of Brooklyminthe county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SynchronizingApparatus, of which the followin'gis a specification.

Myinvention relates to synchronizing apparatus primarily for use betweenthe sound record apparatus and the picture projecting machine inproducing talking, moving pictures and my object of the production of asynchronizer which will normally be a part of the driving mechanism butwhich will permit the operatorto speed up or retard the picture film tobring-itinto perfect synchrony with the sound record. Another object isthe production of a driving synchronizer which will operate the pictureprojector faster than the sound record machine.

Figure 1 is a top view of the synchronizer, Fig. 2 a sectional view onthe line 22 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 a diagrammatic View of the talkingpicture apparatus in which the synchronizer is employed.

In Fig. 3 a is the driving motor for film and record, I) the soundrecord machine, the synchronizer and d the picture projecting machine.By this general arrangement the motor drives the sound record machine,

' this in turn drives one end of the synchronizer while the other end ofthe synchronizer drives the picture projector at a higher rate of speedthan the sound record machine.

The sound record machine must be driven at a constant speed to hold thepitch steady and any variation between sight and sound must be taken upat the picture machine either by increasing or decreasing the speed ofthe film until synchrony is attained after which the drive shouldautomatically become and remain synchronous.

To accomplish these results I have devised a special form ofdifferential gearing with a control device therefor.

A bed plate 1 carries the main shaft bearings 2 and 3 in which shafts 4and 5 run, being fitted into one another at 6 for independent rotationwhile supporting one another.

The gear 7 is solidly fastened to the end of shaft 5. The gears 8 and 9are revolubly mounted on a block 10 which is rigidly Specification, ofLetters Patent.

Patented Dec.

fastened to shaft 4 while'the gear "11 is loosely mounted 'on shaft-4with the control gear 12'secured to'it. r i

When power is applied to. the end of the shaft line carrying the block10 it will re-' volve causing gears 8 and 9 to roll or revolve ontheirown axes'by reason of their engagement with gear 11 which is heldsta: tionary. Gears 8 and 9 in their rotation bothabout the shaft andtheir own axes will cause gear 7' and shaft5 to revolve, but at doublethe speed of shaft 4. This is the standard or normal relation betweenthe sound record machine and the projecting machine if record and filmare'in'perfect synchrony. If, however, the film has been torn or patchedand thesynchrony is imperfect in spots it is necessary to bring themquickly and easily into synchrony without distracting from the effectproduced on the audience.

If control gear 12 is rotated in either direction, independently ofshaft 4, it will turn gear 11 which in turn will increase or decreasethe number of revolutions per minute of gears 8 and 9 on their own axesand in turn speed up or slow down gear 7 and shaft 5 as may be desired,the increase or decrease of speed of shaft 5 depending on the directionof rotation of gear 11.

In order that gear 12 may be quickly and easily rotated in eitherdirection the following control mechanism is provided.

Bearings 13, 14, 15 and 16 carry the shaft sections 17, 18 and 19 whichare fitted together at their meeting ends like shafts 4 and 5 butpermitting independent rotation of each section.

Clutches 20 and 21 enable either shaft 17 or shaft 19 to be coupled toshaft 18 at will.

A gear 22 fixed to shaft 4 engages an idler 23 which in turn engagesgear 24 on shaft 19.

A gear 25 fixed on shaft 18 engages control gear 12.

A gear 26 fixed on shaft 5 engages a gear 27 on shaft 17.

The operating handle 28 has pins 29 and 30 which engage slots 31 and 32in links 33 and 34 which in turn rock arms 35 and 36 to open and closethe clutches 20 and 21. Springs 37 and 38 serve to keep the clutchesnormally open with the handle in central position.

Assuming it is desired to speed up the picture machine the handle 28 ispushed to the right causing clutch 20 to engage and gear 12 to revolveon shaft 4 turning gears 8 and 9 faster than normally thus causing gear7 and shaft 5 to run at an increased rate of speed, thereby speeding upthepicture film, until the film and record are in perfect synchrony.Releasing the handle 28 disengages clutch 20 and gears 8 and 9 ceaserevolving on their own axes at a higher rate of speed and shafts 4 and 5thereafter rotate at their normal rates.

If it is desired to slow the film down handle :28 is pushed to the leftclosing clutch 21, whereupon gear 12 will revolve in the oppositedirection turning gear 11 with it causing gears 8 and 9 to run moreslowly which in turn reduces the speed of gear 7 and shaft 5.

The slightest movement of the handle 28 to the right or left is all thatis required to bring record and film into perfect synchrony and whenthis has been done releasing the handle maintains it since picture andrecord are made at fixed rates of speed.

If desired a pin 39 on gear 12 may be used to strike a bell 40 on eachrevolution corresponding to a space of one picture on the film to assistthe operator in attaining synchrony.

I claim A synchronizer comprising two shafts, a differential gearingconnecting the two shafts, a change speed gear on each shaft, a threesection change speed shaft parallel to the main shafts, a gear on oneend of the change speed shaft directly engaging the change speed gear onthe main shaft, 2. change speed gear on the other end of the changespeed shaft, an intermediate gear between it and the other gear on themain shaft, a gear on the differential, a gear on the third speed changeshaft section engaging the last named gear and means for coupling anduncoupling the change speed shaft sections whereby one element of thedifferential gear may be revolved in either direction to change therelative speeds of the main shafts.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHEN C. PORTER.

Vitnessesz RoBT. B. KILLconE, MAY M. LIPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. 0.

